Diversity officer

Grace Johnson

Grace Johnson’s favourite subjects at high school were psychology, English and mathematics.

Now she is on the way to completing her Master of Engineering in software engineering at the University of Melbourne.

Grace is aiming to move into a product management role after she graduates, and says the best thing about her masters degree has been working with clients.

“Delivering a product to a real-world client is challenging, but provides valuable experience in leadership and team management,” she says.

Grace has also held the role of Diversity Officer for the Computer and Information Systems Students Association (CISSA) at the University of Melbourne and she organised CISSA’s Women in Tech Expo last year.

Fifteen companies presented at the expo, including Deloitte, CBA, Google, Microsoft and social enterprise Code Like a Girl.

The companies were there to inspire students about what is possible in a tech career. “I decided to go with an expo because I’m anti-tech talks,” she says. “I figure students are doing enough lectures.”

Grace says companies are desperate for women to fill tech roles.

“They’re having a terribly hard time attracting the talent they need just because the pool is so small,” she says. That’s why events such as the Women in Tech Expo are so important.